Performance of Southern African Digitaria spp. in southern Queensland

Abstract

Dry matter production and quality of 45 Digitaria accessions were measured over the period 1964-70. In three experiments at Samford, south-east Queensland, the accessions were fertilized with either 336 or 672 kg ha-1 of N a year and cut four-weekly. Both total and cool season production was measured. Highest annual yields were produced by D. smutsii (40,000 kg ha-1), D. macroglossa (37,000 kg ha-1) and D. decumbens (30,000 kg ha-1). D. decumbens yielded up to 5000 kg ha-1 dry matter between May and September compared with up to 6800 kg ha-1 from D. pentzii, 6700 kg ha-1 from D. macroglossa and 6400 kg ha-1 from D. smutsii. In two other experiments persistence and production of nine accessions were compared with those of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) on heavy, gilgaied clay soil at Meandarra, Queensland and with Panicum coloratum var. makarikariense on a shallow, self mulching, sedentary black earth at Southbrook, Queensland. D. decumbens showed the greatest potential for persistence and production at Meandarra and one strain of D. smutsii had the greatest yields at Southbrook. Digestibility and mineral content varied little between species and were generally satisfactory for animal production. Digitaria tended to be higher in phosphorus content than P. coloratum and C. gayana.